At this point it is very hard to function let alone workout with a high intensity.

I never researched what the effects on the body are from low levels of body fat under 4% and I dont plan to right now because I dont need any negative energy in my life at this point.

But after the show I am going to look into it to see if I can find explanations for the symptoms I am currently having (extreme fatigue, irratation, aggrevations, mood swings and of course wild food cravings).

Most are common sense but some I am interested to learn more about the other ones.

My girlfriend is the best! She has put up with a lot from me in the last few months and I am very thankful for the patience and understanding.

The circumstances are not always the same. It just happened that I had a photoshoot a few months before and I made the rookie mistake of trying to maintain contest coditioning for 3 months! Way too long, but i did it and PAID for it!

I should have tapered back a bit then hit it hard only about a month before. Lesson learned.

But now it is all said and done and I will be that much better next time?

Saturday is going to be a long day and I will be only eating turkey and almonds and maybe a piece of dark chocolate before going on stage.

I am really looking forward to the competition and of course the infamous treat meal afterwards!

This competition has been in the making for a while for me.

I decided I wanted to take it to the next level about 8 months ago.

I committed to it and set a goal and a deadline.

Sometimes, the end goal gets blurry and you have to work really hard to stay focused and passionate.

I find keeping dates written down in places you see everyday really help as well as keeping photos up that remind you of your goal.

Its been a long journey but the one thing I realized more than anything is that training and committing myself in the gym actually translates into my real life.

It has made me a much stronger person, physically, mentally and has instilled the confidence and self belief that will help me to achieve more goals in my life.

Its not just about getting big or looking better. It’s a test and a life experience that will help you grow as a person and in muscle size

It is kind of surreal being so close to the competition and taking time to reflect on how far I have come.

There were so many precious memories that were intertwined with the contest prep.

There was also a lot of sacrifices and darker times when I stopped believing and had to work hard to overcome this negative thinking.

This is something else that I have improved on. I realized I am always going to have ups and downs in life.

The secret I learned? Learn how to minimize the time you feel low by using a ‘Happy’ technique.

I keep a mental list of everything that has gone right in the last month and the things that I am grateful for.

Ok so it doesnt automatically switch you thinking right away or how you feel, but you would be surprised at the difference it takes in the amount of time you spend feeling low. I have reduced the time sigificantly.

That is a good life lesson. Accept there will be bad times, but know you will get through them.

On the other end of that, when you feel like you are having bad luck and you just cant go on, think about the times you felt the same way and you overcame a similar situation then say to yourself

“I did it before, I can do it again’.

The more you conquer, the more you can take on later in life.

I am all about living life! I dont believe in setting firm beliefs in just one area because i believe perception can change as we get older and learn more.

The worse thing to do is close your mind and be stubborn in this ever changing life. There are some things I will always stand by like being there for family no matter what cost, being faithful to my girlfriend, treating people with respect, never letting anyone dictate my life and always following my dreams in whichever direction they take me.

I have pursued so many endeavours in my life at the young age of 24 and although I am not a millionaire (yet ) I am beginning to see that this is what makes me happy. Taking on a new goal and conquering it to my satisfaction.

Notice I didnt say someone else’s satisfaction?

No!

This applies for the competition as well. I set out to do 1 fitness model competition. I didnt setout to make it my life from now until i die because i dont know where life will take me next or what I will want to pursue.

I may want to continue and try to improve on my results in another competition or I may just be content with this ONE competition. Who knows.

My next goal is to actually enjoy life a bit more again. Now dont get me wrong… I love trainig, eating health and committing to a goal, but I have started to obsess over it.

Even before the competition, I would hesitate to have a jelly bean if someone offered it to me!

I am not saying that I am going to go back to heavy drinking, binging and partying, but I have developed new guidelines to follow for after the competition to get back to living a more balanced life.

I plan on following a good healthy muscle building diet on the weekdays, and the weekend I plan on letting go a bit and enjoying social occassions that I have been depriving myself from.

If there is a bbq during a lunch break, I might grab a burger!

If people are having a beer at supper, hey, I might just have one too!

If my in-laws are making their organic french toasts breakfast, I will definetly join in

It will be a difficult transition that may not happen overnight but I plan on finding that middle ground where I am still fit but not obsessed.

Now the other side to this is that I will have to probably say goodbye to 3% bodyfat!

who am I kidding…I will DEFINETLY have to say goodbye. You just cant maintain that and even if you could

I dont want to. Its too hard, and fitness is not the only thing in my LIFE!

I will stay at a fit bodyfat level of say 10-12%.

The difference that I think has the biggest effect on the new healthy living lifestyle is that I now have the confidence of knowing that I have the plan and the will power to drop my bodyfat and get ready for a competition again!

Before this, I didnt know for sure. But after weighing in at 3% bodyfat, I am ‘Hell Yeah’ confident.

So this puts my mind at ease and will give me the freedome to back off a bit knowing I can always turn it back up if ever need be.

To tell you the truth, I like the way I look much better at a higher weight and higher bodyfat percentage.

All I know, is that for a fitness model show, it seems that you need to be in your best shape and to me that means low body fat.

I could be wrong and who knows, maybe I would do better at a higher percentage and weight.

The problem is I don’t know ‘exactly’ what the judges mark all their points on. So to play it safe, I just got ripped!

But my girlfriend and many others prefer a ‘healthier’ look rather than the shredded look which I will be competing with.

I predict I will look much better about a week after the show when i fill out from a bit of ‘free’ eating for the week after the competition.

With the excess water, sodium, calories and treat foods, I may gain anywhere from 5-7-10lbs?

in my experience, that will happen regardless of what you do. Unless you eat clean and continue training which at this point I dont plan on doing.

If I did any more dieting or training past this point not only would it become a health concern, it may even sour my love for training and healthy eating.

You need to balance things but it is ok to take it to the extreme every now and then like for competition.

I know this post was more a reflection on my own personal experience and I both appologize if you didn’t get anything from it but i also thank you for your interest.

I needed to share my experience and would like to thank you for being a part of it.

On sunday after the competition, I am going out to a big breakfast with my closest friends and we are going to enjoy a feast.

These are the people who have been supportive and I feel like I want to share this special weekend with them. I wish you guys could be there too

Also, real quickly, if anyone is interested in getting the exact program I used to get down to 3% bodyfat, you can actually get the full plan if you buy Bones to Buff right now.

After Sunday April 18th 2010, I will be removing the bonus but right now you can take advantage of this offer and get an extra program on top of the Bones to Buff program.

About Joey

Hey everyone, my name is
Joey Vaillancourt and I am a former skinny/out of shape guy who turned his entire life around by doing the same thing you are doing today…searching for answers to a better body.

You see, I was not a certified personal trainer straight out of a well respected university graduating with top honours with a Kinesiology degree. I actually graduated with an Electronics degree (I’ll talk more about that after).